Vowel and the Consonants

Vowels: There are twenty vowels in the English Language. They include twelve pure vowels and eight diphthongs.

Pure vowels

1. /i:/ Seat, Cheap, Sheep
2. /i/ sit, chip, ship
3. /e/ set, bread, friend
4. /ᴂ/ Sat, Chat, match
5. /a:/ Far, pass, father
6. /ɔ/ Dog, hot, what
7. /ɔ/ port, Lord, ward
8. /u/ full, pull, would
9. /u:/ fool, pool, coup
10. /Λ/ fun, cut, tongue
11. /ᴈ:/ first, nurse, word
12. /ə/ again, away, forget

Diphthongs

1. /ei/ eight, gate, stable
2. /əv/ go, boat, toe
3. /ai/ bite, fight, die
4. /au/ how, south, doubt
5. /ɔi/ boy, oil, toy
6. /iə/ fear, hear, cheer
7. /eə/ fare, hair, bare
8. /əu/ sure, poor, tour

Evaluation: Exercise 1, Question C, nos 11 – 20, page 30, Oral English for School and Colleges.

Consonants: There are twenty-four consonants in the English Language. They are

1. /p/ People, deep, stipend
2. /b/ ball, debate, mob
3. /t/ take, mistake, boat
4. /d/ do, admit,mad
5. /k/ can, kettle, suck
6. /g/ gun, bag, again
7. /ts/ church, watch, butcher
8. /d ɜ/ judge, joy, bridge
9. /f/ fever, safe, father
10. /v/ voice, revise, involve
11. /θ/ thank, both, thorough
12. / /  that, mother, breathe
13. /s/ sun, miss, messenger
14. /z/ zoo, wise, bags
15. /j/ shirt, wish, mission
16. / dɜ/ measure, pleasure, vision
17. /h/ house, hurry, rehearse
18. /m/ man, remember, warm
19. /n/ name,   renew, tan
20. /ɳ/ going, doing, tongue
21. /l/ late, little, tibe
22. /r/ write, rat, worry
23. /w/ worry, reward, worship
24. /j/ yam, yes, duty

Evaluation: Exercise 1, question A nos 1 -10, page 67, Oral English for Schools and Colleges

See also

Requirement of the Examination on Orals

Nominalization of Infinitives | Nouns, Verbs & Clauses

Formal & Informal Letters

Contrasting stress

Direct and Indirect Speech